Top 5 Christmas Cookies to Make For the Holidays
Here are 5 all time favorites to try.
Apricot Coconut Delight
1- cup salted butter, softened
1- 8 oz cut sour cream
2- cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup apricot preserves (not jelly)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts of your choice.
1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sour cream until light and fluffy. Combine the salt and flour and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Wrap each part in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for from 3 to 4 hours or until easy to handle.
2. In a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves, coconut flakes and chopped nuts. set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of sough until it is 1/8 inch thick.
3. Cut into 2-1/2 inch squares, spread each square with a rounded teaspoon of the apricot mixture. Very carefully fold one corner over the filling. Moisten the opposite corner with water and fold over the first corner to seal.
4. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 - 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Haystacks
2+1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2+ 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1- 12 oz. container of chopped nuts. Pecan or peanuts work great.
8- ounces of chow mein noodles.
Melt butterscotch and chocolate chips in the top half of a double boiler over hot water. (Bring the water to a boil, then stop the boil and work with the hot water.) Make sure that the water does not get into the melting chips. Stir in the nuts, then the noodles. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Let cool. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Peanut Butter Cookies
1+1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large Egg
1/2 cup super fine sugar
1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (you can change up with chunky peanut butter if you like chunky better)
1/2 cup brown sugar.
1. Shift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
2. In another bowl Cream butter with sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter, creaming after each addition until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg to the peanut mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. (if using chunky peanut butter, mix allowing for the peanuts.
5. Drop the mixture onto a ungreased baking sheet, one teaspoon full at a time, spaced about 2 inches apart.
6. Flatten with a fork, then turn the fork 180 degrees and flatten again to make a crisscross pattern on the top of the cookie.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 - 11 minutes. Remove and place on a cookie rack to cool.
Pecan Meltaways
1 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2+1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 ounces granulated pecans for coating
4 ounces confectioners’ sugar for coating.
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour and salt: gradually add it to the creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled.
2. Remove from refrigerator, roll into 1 inch balls and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. While they are baking, mix the 4 ounces of confectioner’s sugar and the 4 ounces of granulated pecans together.
5. Roll the warm cookies in this mixture, remove and let cool. Once cool, roll them in the mixture once again. These are sure to become one of your favorite cookies.
Lemon Drop Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Large Egg
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel. (This is sometimes available at your local spice shop, or you can make your own.)
1 tablespoon half and half
1+1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces (1/2 cup) crushed lemon drops
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon peel and half and half.
2.Combine the flour, lemon drops,baking powder and salt, gradually adding it to the cream mixture, and mix well.
3.Drop, by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown lightly.
5.Remove from oven, let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before placing on wire racks to complete the cooling process.
6.If you can find them, it is nice to add a small candied lemon slice on top of each cookie. Ask your local bakery, they use them to decorate cakes and might be willing to sell you some. You will need about 4 dozen, as this recipe makes about that many cookies.
The Holiday Season is a great time to gather the family in the Kitchen and bake cookies together. If you have children, here is where those memories are made. Be sure to make enough, because they have a way of disappearing before you know it.
Born and raised in the Wine Country of Northern California, William Chaney is a Retired Chef and Wine Connoisseur. He splits his time between his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and his home in Wisconsin. He writes about Wines of the world and foods of the world. Visit him at http://WineLoversSecrets.com where you can learn more about wine, get food recipes and sign up for his new letter.
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The Turkey Gravy Thickener That Grandma Ignored
By Todd Mohr
My Grandmother used cornstarch to make turkey gravy. My Mother inherited this procedure of dissolving cornstarch in water to thicken the drippings. Well, this generational laziness stops here!
If your family is like mine, your elders will be sliding the roasting pan from the oven in a few weeks. The bird is brown and fragrant with simmering and sputtering fats in the bottom of the pan. Just before she’ll carve turkey, Grandma will turn your holiday meal into Chinese food.
A cornstarch slurry thickener for your turkey gravy gives it a glassy slick mouth feel like Kung Po Beef. Butter has much better flavor, melts in your mouth, and gives a better texture when thickening sauces.
A simple butter/flour roux is the best way to make homemade gravy, and making your roux in advance will save you time, allow you the flexibility to make more gravy quickly, and improve the overall flavor of the sauce you’ll put on your mashed potatoes.
Don’t tell me that butter is more fattening. I already know that. But, we’re already eating cookies, pies, cakes, potatoes, turkey, stuffing, salad, rolls, and on and on. What’s the harm of a little more butter to make a great sauce?
Roux is simple to make by simply melting any quantity of butter in a sauce pan. Add an equal amount of flour, or just enough to make a paste-like consistency and start to cook out the proteins.
Proteins in the flour is what will give a pasty or floury taste to your sauce, so this combination of butter and flour must be cooked until it goes from yellow to white and gives off a nutty aroma.
You can continue cooking this blonde roux until it becomes brown if you prefer a darker turkey gravy, but keep in mind that a brown roux has half the thickening power of a blond roux. You’ll have to prepare twice as much brown roux to thicken the same amount of liquid.
Whether blonde or brown, store your roux in a ceramic ramekin, or allow it to cool and scrape from the pan into a plastic container. This is now your instant thickener for any type of liquid, whether poultry broth or milk for your cheese sauce.
The secret behind a great turkey gravy is roux instead of cornstarch. Butter and flour give better flavor and texture to all sauces. Perhaps even Grandma and Mom will catch on this year.
Author Box:
See the turkey gravy video to by clicking here. Chef Todd Mohr has freed thousands of people from the frustration of written recipes with his online cooking classes. The Chef’s cooking DVD series “Burn Your Recipes” empowers people to cook with basic methods and the ingredients they desire.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Secrets Revealed: 10 Steps to Make a Juicy Holiday Turkey
In the case of a long cooking bird, salt is your friend. But most people don’t realize the addition of olive oil is the secret. Regardless of the spices you use to flavor a turkey, whether traditional like plain salt or adventurous like adding a little kick with salt mixed with cayenne for a Cajun flair, if you oil in three main places first your turkey will be delicious.
Where are the three places? Simple. Inside, outside, and under the skin. Most people think the skin has enough fat and barrier to keep the turkey juicy. But the truth is that salt and oil are the magic. Juices are pulled toward salt and the oil acts as a sealant. By treating the turkey inside and under the skin, you’ve sealed the juices in the meat. By oiling and spicing the skin, it acts like a marinade while the bird is cooking.
The broth that forms is spectacular for gravy, but our family favorite is to use it for an amazing soup base. Refrigerate the broth (or freeze) and skim the layer of fat off before using.
Step 1: Rinse and pat bird dry
Step 2: Pour half a cup of olive oil in a bowl
Step 3: Fill another bowl with salt and spices
Step 4: Loosen the skin of the turkey (take off jewelry) except on the legs. Reach under the skin and gently break it free across the breast. Try not to tear the skin.
Step 5: Fill your hands with olive oil and rub entire bird inside and out and under the skin.
Step: 6: Fill your hands with the spices (heavily mixed with salt) and rub all over bird, inside and out, be sure to spice/salt under the skin as far as you can reach.
Step 7: Stuff Turkey lightly or skip this step.
Step 8: Prep turkey bag by adding 2 tablespoons of flour and shaking before placing in large baking dish. (I use the largest lasagna dish and can usually do a 20-22 pound bird.
Step 9: Place inside turkey bag and seal.
Step 10: Bake following directions for size of bird on the turkey bag box.
That’s it! 10 steps that take a very short time. Now you have a simple, elegant turkey ready for the most beautiful table. But even more, you’ll have left overs that won’t taste like dry cardboard.
For a spectacular Sage Turkey recipe and great turkey left over recipes, pick up your copy of Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance by Angela Breidenbach. It’s available anywhere books are sold including Amazon, Christianbook, and Barnes & Noble.
Angela Breidenbach
Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance, Westbow: A division of Thomas Nelson
Gems of Wisdom: For A Treasure-filled Life, May 2011, Journey Press: A Sheaf House Imprint
http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com
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Brining Turkey Is Better Than Burning Down Your House
By Todd Mohr
When your frustration rises from another dry bird, you might resort to a deep fried turkey in an effort to achieve your goals. Deep frying turkey is expensive, dangerous, unnecessary, and the just the wrong way to cook a carcass. Submerging your holiday bird in liquid is a much safer way than deep frying to get a moist result. You can’t burn down your house while brining turkey.
If you fear a dry turkey, adding moisture BEFORE cooking is the best strategy. Just like a grilling marinade adds moisture and flavor to your steak, brining turkey is the opportunity to add flavor and retain moisture when cooking in a dry heat process.
The most important part of any brine is salt. Salt will be the medium that draws the liquid and flavors of your marinade into the meat of your turkey. It’s important NOT to use a Kosher or Self-Basting bird, because they have already been injected with saline solution. Brining these types of turkey will give you a very salty result.
I use 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of brown sugar as a base for my turkey brine. These first two ingredients must be completely dissolved in hot liquid first. If salt or sugar crystals remain in the brine, they will not penetrate the muscle tissue. This would be like sprinkling salt and sugar on the outside of the bird.
Using a 5-gallon bucket for brining my turkey, I can now add any combination of flavorful liquids and seasonings that I desire. To keep with the Fall flavors, I decide to use apple juice, apple cider vinegar, bourbon, chicken stock, cinnamon sticks, and whole peppercorns in my mixture. I’ll add enough liquid to fill half of the 5 gallon bucket.
Food safety is extremely important when brining turkey. While the presence of Apple Cider Vinegar, an acid, will lower bacterial growth, the raw bird should be brined no longer than 24 hours, and must be kept below 40F (4c) to be safe. Most people don’t have a refrigerator large enough to hold a 5 gallon bucket, so improvisation is necessary.
If you live in colder climates, the bird-in-a-bucket can simply sit in your garage. If the temperature is to climb above 40F, you can use a large cooler to brine your turkey. Add ice to the cooler every few hours and use a thermometer to assure the safety of your dinner to be.
Now you’ve combated the drawbacks of roasting. The dry cooking process has been thwarted by the liquid and flavors you’ve added 24 hours before subjecting the bird to evaporation of liquids in your oven.
Brining turkey takes no special skills, no study, no special equipment, no gallons of expensive oil, nor fire extinguisher at the ready like a deep fried turkey. It’s a way to create the most moist, flavorful thanksgiving turkey you’ve ever been that proud of. And, it will leave the firemen out of your holiday dinner plans.
Author Box: Click Brining Turkey. to see the entire brining turkey video.
Chef Todd Mohr has freed thousands of people from the frustration of written recipes with his online cooking classes. The Chef’s cooking DVD series “Burn Your Recipes” empowers people to cook with basic methods and the ingredients they desire. dance ideas and support.
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3 Non-Traditional Ways to Prepare Your Holiday Turkey
By Frank Flohr
Deep-Fryed Turkey
3 gallons peanut oil for frying, or as needed
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/4 cup Creole seasoning
1 white onion
In a large stockpot or turkey fryer, heat oil to 400 degrees F. Be sure to leave room for the turkey, or the oil will spill over.
***** Side Note *****
How to determine the amount of oil you need:
The easiest way I’ve found to determine the amount of oil you need is to place the turkey into the fryer and fill with water until the turkey is just covered. Remove turkey and allow to drain, pat dry with paper towels as well. Make note of the level of water in the fryer. Discard water and dry throughly. Fill frying vessel with oil to the level as noted above. This should help in preventing hot oil spill overs.
***** End Side Note *****
Layer a large platter with food-safe paper bags. Rinse turkey, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Rub Creole seasoning over turkey inside and out. Make sure the hole at the neck is open at least 2 inches so the oil can flow freely through the bird. Place the whole onion and turkey in drain basket. The turkey should be placed in basket neck end first. Slowly lower basket into hot oil to completely cover turkey. Maintain the temperature of the oil at 350 degrees F, and cook turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound, about 45 minutes. Carefully remove basket from oil, and drain turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; the internal temperature must be 180 degrees F.
Finish draining turkey on the prepared platter.
Grilled Whole Turkey
12 pounds whole turkey
2 cups water
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium heat, and lightly oil grate. Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Place turkey breast side down on the prepared grill. Sear turkey on both sides until skin is golden to dark brown. In a large roasting pan, mix together the water, bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, parsley, and paprika. Place turkey breast side down in the roasting pan. Scoop the pan mixture over the turkey. Cover tightly with foil and place on grill. Grill 3 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180F. Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
Smoked Turkey
1 turkey 8 to 22 lbs., fresh or completely thawed
Sweet Pickle Brine (recipe to follow)
Maple syrup
Sweet Pickle Brine:
1 gal. water
2 1/2 cups salt, rock, pickling or canning salts are recommened
1/3 cup of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Lquid garlic
1 oz. pickling spices
Mix well. You may need to adjust the amounts depending on the size of your bird. This recipe should suit you fine for an 8 to 12 lb. turkey.
Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water, drain and pat dry. Prepare sweet pickle brine. Brine turkey according to the following schedule, 8 to 12 lb. bird 3 days, 13 to 16 lb. bird 4 days, 17 to 22 lb. bird 5 days. Remove from brine; rinse thoroughly in cold water and pat dry. Allow to dry in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Lock wings behind back and tie legs and tail together. Baste turkey with maple syrup before putting in smoker and every 2 hours while smoking. Position turkey on cooking grill. Smoke cook until done.
The best way to determine doneness is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey (the breast) the internal temperature should read 180 degrees F.
Smoking food is more an art than a science; this recipe is not intended for the novice. Allot of factors go into determining the cooking time for a particular food when smoking.
Cool turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving to enhance the smoked flavor. You may serve the turkey right away if you wish.
About The Author
Chef Phronc Frank Flohr (aka Chef Phronc) is passionate about cooking. Frank serves up a full plater of cooking tips, recipes and culimary information on his blog at http://www.recipecorral.com/blog. Unleash the hidden “Chef” inside you!
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Texas Thanksgiving Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
Pan of cornbread, usually 4 boxes of Jiffy Brand cornbread.
1 package of Jimmy Dean sausage cooked; hold the grease to mix with the rest of ingredients. If you want to be healthier remove it, but remember it is the Holidays.
1 pkg. of shelled Pecans
1 can chicken broth
4 celery stalks (use the hearts for tenderness, and best flavor)
1 medium sweet onion chopped
2 Apples chopped you can use whichever is your favorite
2Tablespoons poultry seasoning
2 Tablespoons of Rubbed Sage
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Rosemary, if you live in the Central Texas area it is plentiful. But you can find it at most grocery stores.
1 Tablespoons salt, or to taste
2 Tablespoons black pepper
Preparation:
Make your cornbread and remove it from the oven and let it cool. If you want to spice it up you can use the Jalapeño cornbread instead of the plain. If you like spicy this gives it an added kick, and it is very tasty! When you cornbread is cool enough to work with you will combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until all ingredients are mixed together well. You will then add to a pan, or pans depending on the size to cook the dressing. You will preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The approximate cooking time will vary depending on your oven. I would check after about 30 minutes and then check every 10 after that. It should take no longer than an hour or so to be completely cooked. If it has some browning on the top of the dressing that is totally okay, you actually want it to brown some for texture. You can check after 30 minutes with a toothpick for doneness, and when it comes out with no batter on the toothpick, the dressing is done. I hope that you enjoy this dish, it is a favorite around my house during the Holidays. Enjoy!
Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon,
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Thanksgiving Potatoes That Beat Boring Boiled or Mundane Mashed
By Todd Mohr
Thanksgiving potatoes are boring. If you’re serving the same mashed potatoes year-after-year, you know what I’m talking about. Do you have relatives that insist on the same old menu each holiday? Will Aunt Francis refuse to attend if you don’t serve the family mashed potato recipe?
Face it, tradition always gets in the way of innovation. I want to share some ideas, inspirations, and methods from the professional kitchen that will become the start of a new holiday tradition this year.
As a child, my family tradition was the “twice baked” potato. This thanksgiving potato standard in my home was baked, mashed with butter, and returned to the skins to bake again. The thing I like about this type of potato dish is that it’s already mashed and flavored before the table.
I hate “potato surprise”. That’s when you cut an X in your baked potato; squeeze the sides, and surprise, the potato squishes out. Now, you have to wrestle with the butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, cheese, and other condiments to get them mashed on your plate. It’s a horrible mess!
My favorite “new” potato dish is actually hundreds of years old. Duchesse Potatoes are simply mashed potatoes stiffened with egg yolks and molded into forms with a pastry bag.
Start a new thanksgiving potato tradition by peeling, dicing, and simmering potatoes in liquid until they are very soft and crush easily under a fork. Drain the liquid and spread the potatoes on a baking sheet to be further dried in a 250F (121C) oven. Fully drying the potatoes is important to have them hold their shape when baked.
Duchesse Potatoes are special because they hold their shape. Egg yolks give them structure that makes this happen. I use 2 egg yolks per pound of cooked potatoes along with some salt and pepper.
The most important part of this procedure is that the potatoes must be fully cooled to below 165F (74C), the temperature at which the egg proteins will coagulate, making scrambled eggs. The cooled potatoes are pureed in a food processor, slowly adding the egg yolks to combine.
They should be sticky and look more like dough than mashed potatoes. If your Duchesse Potatoes are too wet, they won’t hold their shape on baking. Using a pastry bag, I pipe out spirals of potatoes on top of themselves that resemble small Christmas Trees. If I were to add green chives and red pimentos, I’d have a festive holiday plate-appeal.
The real advantage to Duchesse Potatoes as your new tradition is that you’ve created specific portions of thanksgiving potatoes instead of letting your guests shovel from a large, undefined bowl of mashed potatoes. This saves time, food, and money.
Duchesse Potatoes can be a new thanksgiving potato tradition in your household. They’re cooler than creamed, more magical than mashed, and beat baked any day of the year. You’ll just have to give Aunt Francis a big apology for the new inspirations on the table. The times-are-a-changin’, Aunt Francis.
Author Box: See the Thanksgiving potatoes to by clicking here. Chef Todd Mohr has freed thousands of people from the frustration of written recipes with his online cooking classes. The Chef’s cooking DVD series “Burn Your Recipes” empowers people to cook with basic methods and the ingredients they desire.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe, Juicy Edition
<!–adsense–> INGREDIENTS
1 whole turkey (12 to 16 lb), fresh or frozen, thawed
1 Tbsp stick butter, melted
½ tsp each salt and pepper
2 Cans of chicken broth
1-2 Packages of each, fresh Sage, fresh Thyme, and fresh Rosemary
1 Package of Parsley
Garnish: fresh herbs
PREPARATION:
Day 1
First you will need to thaw the Turkey. Follow the instructions on the package your bird came in. remove any and all giblets, neck etc. Save it if you want to make the giblet gravy, I throw it away. I brine my Turkey to give it maximum flavor and to make sure that it is very moist. I take a very large pan and add about 2-3 Tablespoons of salt, and 2 Tablespoons of fresh, chopped Sage, Thyme and Rosemary. I will then add about 1 to 2 gallons of water and submerge the bird into the solution for about 12-18 hours. You will need a container that is large enough for your turkey, and small enough to be able to refrigerate for the entire brining time period. Once you are through with the brining process, rinse and dry turkey inside and out with paper towels.
Day 2
You are now ready to cook your Turkey. Preheat your oven to 325°F. You’ll need a shallow roasting pan with rack to let heat flow below the bird to help with even cooking. You will need to tie or clamp legs together, they now have rubber bands now that you can use that will work in any oven less than 550 degrees. I like using them better than the chefs twine. You will twist wing tips under back and brush skin with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the cavity of the Turkey I like to put fresh Sage, Thyme and Rosemary. You will now place the Turkey breast side up on rack in pan and add the broth to the roasting pan. You will roast for about 3 to 3 3/4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with juices from the pan. If your pan juices start to dry up add more broth, or water if needed. If the breast starts to get too brown, cover loosely with foil. Start checking turkey about 1 1/4 hours before it should be done.
To make sure your Turkey is done you want an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. When you pull your turkey it should have carry over cooking to take the internal temperature up to 165 degrees. When it has reached this temperature your bird is done, you can leave your thermometer in at this point, but make sure it is not hitting a bone. This will give you a false read on the temperature of your bird, and make for a Turkey that has not been cooked all the way. When you are sure that your Turkey is fully cooked you will want to remove from the oven and add to your Turkey to a serving platter. Let rest at least 30 minutes before serving for juicier meat and easier carving.
Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. Chef Pogue’s website is http://www.chefshelleypogue.com
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Thanksgiving Cornbread Stuffing with Apples, Chorizo & Goat Cheese
Nothing compliments a delicious Thanksgiving turkey better than a good homemade stuffing. No store bought stuffing allowed here, especially when it is very easy to make your own. There are so many different ways to make a good stuffing, but the following recipe is one of my favorites. It is much more exciting then your traditional stuffing.
I would like to clarify something first before we begin. This recipe is called a stuffing, but it is actually a dressing. A stuffing is something that is actually stuffed into the turkey during the cooking process, while a dressing is made separately. I prefer to make this recipe separately as I feel it is safer. If you cook anything inside a turkey you run the risk of getting sick. This is because anything cooked inside a turkey may not reach a hot enough cooking temperature to safely kill harmful bacteria. Why take the risk when you can make a delicious stuffing, or dressing, separately….. Let’s begin…
INGREDIENTS
2 Cooking Apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious) Cored and Diced
1 6 Ounce Bag of Dried Cranberries
1 Large Onion Diced
1 Tablespoon of Garlic Minced
2 Carrots Chopped Finely
3 Celery Stalks Chopped Finely
2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Parsley
2 Tablespoon of Freshly Chopped Thyme
4 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste
6 Ounces of Goat Cheese
1 1/2 - Plus a bit more if needed
3/4 Cup of Chorizo Diced
3/4 Pound of Day Old Cornbread
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large sauteed pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and apples and cook until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.
STEP 2 - In a separate saute pan, cook the chorizo sausage over medium heat until the chorizo gets crispy and most of the fat is rendered. Drain.
STEP 3 - Add the chorizo, cornbread, goat cheese, parsley, thyme and chicken stock to the saute pan with the apples and veggies. You want this mixture to be quite wet. If it is dry, add a little more chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
STEP 4 - Add this mixture into a medium sized baking dish and bake uncovered until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Roasted Butternut Squash Stuffed with Sausage and Apples
Butternut squash is part of the winter squash family. It has a wonderful nutty and sweet flavor. Roasting butternut squash can really bring out this fantastic flavor even more. Butternut squash is very similar in flavor to pumpkin, which is why in Australia it is referred to as “Butternut Pumpkin”. It is no surprise how this squash is often substituted in recipes that call for pumpkin. Not only is this squash very tasty, but it also has a ton of health benefits. It is loaded with vitamin A and is a good source of fiber, magnesium and potassium. It is has no fat, cholesterol or sodium either.
The following recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat squash. This recipe will also make a wonderful Thanksgiving Day side dish that you can make ahead of time the day or night before.
Roasted Butternut Squash Stuffed with Sausage and Apples
Ingredients:
- 2 Butternut Squash, Halved Lengthwise (Seeds Removed)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pound of Sweet Italian Sausage Removed From Casing and Crumbled
- 2 Macintosh Apples Peeled, Cored and Chopped
- 1 Large Onion Chopped
- 1 Clove of Garlic Chopped
- 3 Tablespoons of Butter (2 Tablespoons Softened, 1 Tablespoon Cut Into Small Pieces)
- 2 Tablespoons of Packed Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Dried Sage
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Directions
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 - Lightly oil a large baking dish. Place butternut squash, cut side up, on baking dish. Brush the squash with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast until the squash is tender but still holds its form. Remove squash and set aside to cool, but keep the oven on.
Step 3 - In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, saute sausage. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. When sausage is no longer pink, add the apple, onions, garlic and cook, stirring until the apples are slightly tender but still have some crisp to them. Remove from heat.
Step 4 - Scoop out most of the flesh from the butternut squash leaving a 1/4 inch shell.
Step 5 - Gently stir the squash pulp into the sausage and apple mixture. Mix in 2 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar, the sage, salt and pepper.
Step 6 - Stuff the squash halves with the sausage and apple mixture and dot the mixture with a tablespoon of brown sugar and the butter pieces. Bake in the oven, uncovered, until the top is brown and crusty, about 25 minutes. Let the stuffed squash cool for several minutes before serving.
